Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium

The dogs! There are a lot of opinions about this place but I think that if you don’t expect high standard you won’t be disappointed. At the end of the day it’s w great night out to have with mates, have a cheap gamble, some burgers & drinks. Yes the food isn’t great & the drinks are expensive & the décor could do with updating but we got our ticket off groupon, (entry, programme, burger & drink for 2 for £8!) so can’t complain! You can upgrade your burgers or add things on for 99p extra (a bit steep!) Or you can sit down at the other side with table clothes & waiter service & have a 3 course meal. There’s always offers on for a cheap & cheerful night. Take the right friends, have a gamble & take it as it is! The dogs!

Ok, 2 stars might seem cruel, but I honestly cannot bring myself to rate it higher. The following is genuinely just my own opinion.
I first went to Belle Vue Greyhounds Stadium 6yrs ago, and it was a pretty bad night. Went again last month hoping it might be better — it was for a friends birthday & we were on a special deal. I found the service terrible — when I went to the desk to place a bet I felt I was greeted with literal contempt. They are totally unwilling to give you anything that might resemble a friendly smile. When you go to get a drink, the staff ignore you to stand & chat with each other instead. The carpet is black with filth & tar, so so dirty I cannot begin to describe it. The ceiling tiles are yellowed & warped. The place hasn’t been freshened up since the early 90s I would guess. And it desperately needs it. The toilets are amongst the worst I have used.
The 2 stars go simply for its cult status in Manchester (I would still say go try it, you might love it — it’s just not my cup of tea) — the lovely ladies who sell the burgers & chips also deserve a mention.
Our deal was very reasonable — £15 for entry, programme, £2 bet & Burger. So that was also a positive — the lads I was with had a good time, but I made the mistake of dressing up… if you go — don’t do that. It’s casual here, if you come dolled up you will stick out like a sore thumb! Trainers, jeans etc are the order of the day. Also, other people had brought children with them — I wouldn’t personally recommend that, particularly not for younger children. The reason being: there a big groups there that are having a brilliant time, drinking, swearing, shouting — I wouldn’t describe it as an ideal environment for familys.

Went for a Christmas function. I didn’t expect a great deal but even so the food was very poor. The pâté was mildly acceptable but the bread it was served with was bleach white and chewy.
The main came out with a plastic microwave lid still on the plate. The butternut squash was okay but the parsnips had been well overcooked and doused in so much honey that the taste and texture resembled treacle.
The raspberry and chocolate slice was reasonable but I imagine this was bought/​prepared elsewhere. The ‘freshly whipped’ cream was anything but.
Drinks were also expensive — £4.10 for a pint of Guinness would be a price I’d expect at a hotel or fancy bar rather than a supposedly down to earth night out.
This is without getting into the morals of the sport involved — often you will find protestors at the entrance highlighting these issues.
Avoid at all costs.

Went to the dogs for a friends birthday, was a great night out for a group. Really enjoyed cheering on my bets and ended up a couple of quid up! We had the three couse sit down meal which wasnt up to much and pricey for what you got but it ensured we had a good view and someone to come to our table to take the bets.

Say what you want but I’ve had two really good nights out at the Dogs.
It’s thought of as quite a chavvy thing to do but do you know what? It’s cheap, it’s fun and it’s a completely different thing to do!
It’s good fun if you’re with a group because that way it’s not all about gambling, you can watch other people lose money whilst you take a bit of a back seat! Really good for a works night out actually.
Cheap drinks and cheap food too, you can either stand by the track outside and watch or sit inside in one of the booths and watch through the windows.
It can be a cheap night but it can be an expensive one too, know your limits people.
Check out the website before you go because they usually have some good offers on there.

Greyhound racing may be a little bit of a contentious issue for some people. Perhaps because the dogs may be poorly treated or undernourished. It might be a little naïve of me but my personal experience of having a friend with a racing greyhound is that they given as much love as your average beagle and the simple fact is they are born, and love, to run.
If you’re looking for a fun, different and cheap (depending on how much you bet) night out, then think about giving Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium a chance. The floodlight stadium is surrounded by a restaurant, trackside bars and of course the grandstands where you can sit inside or out. The suites are designed for groups and there are special offers for groups including free meals.
I didn’t really understand how to bet at first, but as soon as you get the hang of it, it’s quite exhilarating to watch your favoured pooch curry to the finish line. I didn’t win anything, but that hasn’t put me off at all. The entry is free on a Thursday, £3 on Fri and £5 on Saturday but even if you don’t want to bet at all, it’s an entertaining night out with your friends.

This is one unusual night out and the saying of going to the dogs takes on a whole new meaning!
We went after hearing about a special offer, entry plus a three course meal for £16.95.
The staff were very friendly and the food of a good standard, the racing itself was quite entertaining and there was betting available at the tables although you don’t have to place any bets if you don’t want to! The atmosphere was very friendly.
If you are feeling lucky then why not go, it certainly makes a change from the usual night out.